


Water Skies

by FelixKamov



Series: Water Skies [1]
Category: Hey Arnold!
Genre: College students can be very inconsiderate, Gen, I guess this is angst?, Mentions of Characters From Other Shows, Mentions of street violence, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-09 05:25:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16443737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FelixKamov/pseuds/FelixKamov
Summary: Arnold enrolls in a history college, and has grown more sensitive over the years. Most of his childhood friends are in faculties nearby, one of his new friends lives in a quasi-ghetto and knows everything there is to know about... well, everything, and he's about to meet another friend from an unexpected place.





	Water Skies

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is my first work here, and I'm still new to all the ins and outs, but to anyone who sees this, let me know what you think! I'm always open to criticism and to improving, so leave your honest opinions below.   
> See end of work for more notes.

“Mr. Shortman? Mr. Shortman, do you know what group you’re in?”

Arnold lifted his head and saw the librarian again. His shirt was making him feel cold. He didn’t wear another shirt under it, and it didn’t stretch down to his hips; quite a departure from his usual attire.

“Oh, right, right. Group 3.”

“Here’s your schedule for the winter semester. There’s an e-mail in the top left corner should you need assistance.”

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” said Arnold, and looked at his watch. 

“Time sure flies here, don’t it” he thought. Everything he did today went smoothly. Almost too smoothly for him. Most people dread even the thought of waiting lines, but he grew to like them over time. They provided a sense of structure and stability, sometimes even security- at least for him.

After wrapping up with waiting, he went over to fill out a form so that he could confirm that he got his schedule. He decided to give way to another student, in hope that he’d spend more time waiting. The student he gave way to, however, then gave way to another friend, and he to another, and she to another, and then they started talking about their high school, and… Arnold saw there was no way to sign it now, and, ever so cheerfully, went outside to wait out the group. 

Outside he waited among the students of Group 4, who were next in line for getting their schedule. Arnold had in mind that he’d be able to finish up and leave quickly. He had introductory classes the day before, and thought that the students of his class would be free from attending for the day, though he never heard anything of the sort from any teacher explicitly. Him believing that was more due to wishful thinking from his more care-free mood that was left over from summer break than anything else.

Wanting to double check, he approached one of the students from Group 4, who seemed care-free himself. He had a smile on his face, so Arnold figured he’d be kind enough to help out.

“Um, hey, we don’t have any more classes today, right?”

“Huh, w-what?” said the student, and leaned his head toward Arnold to let him now he didn’t hear him well.

“We don’t have any more classes today, right?”

After hearing him this time around, the student turned lime-faced. He gave Arnold a very wide, almost ear-to-ear smile, with all his teeth to see. He then proceeded to correct him, leaning his head back after the end of every sentence, and seemingly enjoying every moment of it.

“We do. We do. With Mrs. Fitzgerald. Right after we finish, we do. We really do.”

Arnold didn’t know why, but he sensed himself twitch. Something about the way in which the student carried himself made him uncomfortable. He felt mocked and belittled for what he saw as a simple error, and left for the library as soon as he could. 

Ten minutes later, he finished filling out the form and, staring at his watch, found that there was about a quarter of an hour before class would start. That was a mighty long time for him if he wasn’t occupied with something, so he set out to find a friendly face in the library. 

The only person he knew that hung around the library frequently was a student called Hitch, who’d go there during each and every recess. This time, he spotted him quietly reading a textbook he had just gotten. Once he finished up work for good, he went over to him for small talk.

“No lines today. Well, there was this one group that knew each other from high school and so I let all of them sign to beat time, which is always a good thing. I didn’t get the same experience as a regular line though.”

“Tough luck, lad. Well, at least you got done quicker. Mind if I take a picture of the schedule?”

“Sure.” He passed the sheet of paper over the table.

“So, how’s the day going along so far?”

“Neatly. You’re the first one I’ve talked to today. Hopefully I get to be around a group of people soon, not just one or two students here and there.”  
Hitch looked up and gave a sour expression.

“Oh, d-don’t get me wrong, I like talking with you too!”

“I know, I know. Just be careful who you’re hanging around, it’s not always OK to get too fixated on groups of people. Did I ever tell you about what happened to Bart Simpson from Year 2?”

“Yeah, you have. He got beat up by a youth gang in your block for throwing plums of all things on someone else, and then on them once, I think?”

“That someone else he was throwing on was someone the gang only saw once ‘round the neighborhood, and is also now serving jail for house robbery. Did some shady stuff before Simpson confronted him as well. Bart must’ve gotten tired of all their tough-guy behavior, and decided to respond to both him and them in the worst possible way, and so they dealt with him the only way they deal with anyone weaker than them. Blokes only stopped when Simpson started crying and left in tatters, probably thought he “learned his lesson”. Street justice is a nasty thing.”

“Well, yeah, that makes sense” Arnold replied, mostly because he couldn’t make sense of it. How were all the details so fleshed out and specific, and told by someone who wasn’t even a witnessing party, no less? He thought that he had to give a response of some sort, or do something to have him expand on his point. This was all coming in a bit too fast for him. 

“That’s how things are in the run-down parts of town, Hitch. Are you sure it was a gang? Maybe the cops know them. Maybe it was peer pressure. They need a sense of proper justice in those places, y’know.”

“I sure know they acted like one.” he said, and without haste added on “Besides, since when is peer pressure a get-out-of-jail card all of a sudden? Everyone has individual agency, and that includes Simpson. What he did was very stupid.”

“Uh, y-yeah. It was, he should know better than to get caught up with those walks of life.”

Arnold hardened his expression. He wanted to appear fair and just in concluding what had happened, believing that this needed to be tackled swiftly and without much emotion.

“Indeed. I steer clear myself, but I’m in the loop, so to speak. I know everyone I should and shouldn’t on the block, you can never be too careful.”

“That’s true. It’s on a whole ‘nother dimension down there, no doubt.”

“In a way, yeah. Also why I don’t like hearing stuff about a “sense of community”, or a “sense of justice”. People like that do all their acts of abuse out of a “sense of community” and a “sense of justice”. Even something like “empathy” tends to mean something else over there, like, when folks say “as thick as thieves”, that really is how they…” Hitch replied, but then stopped, not wanting to go on rambling “Uh, so, yeah, it’s kind of a mess.” 

“Yeah, that is disgusting. I guess they can mean different things to different people. I see where you’re coming from. Though I’m not sure about that whole community add-on. A community does bring in a feeling of acceptance, and belonging, and…”

“I know, Arnold. I see where you’re coming from too. See you around.”

“See you.”

After Hitch left, Arnold reached in his pocket and pulled out a folded paper. It was his list of school subjects, and he wanted to skim over it one more time.

“Let’s see, let’s see…   
Pre-Columbus history of the Americas- should be interesting, not often taught  
Causes of the First World War- I did watch that Extra Credits video about how the war started, and Indy Neidell is a load of fun to watch also…”

Before he could really get into how he could make studying more entertaining, he remembered that classes were over today. Well, that was a mundane way to end a school day. Back to the flat it goes. The first couple of days always went by fast but felt slow.

“Arnold! Hey Arnold, wait up!”

Arnold did indeed stop. It was Brainy, from all the way back from elementary school. As lethargic as he was, Arnold pulled out a chuckle without difficulty. The kids he knew from his hometown always tended to bring out the best in him.

“Hey, Brainy! How’d your day go?”

“Alright. A bit slow, nothing much happened. I’m the only one here from group 2, the others came to the library earlier.”

“Oh. That kind of blows, dude. If your group isn’t here, maybe try talking with kids from other groups?”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I guess I could try. I’m never much around college anyhow.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard you’re an irregular now. Where’d you get a job?”

“The Environmental Protection Agency. I got a position as a lab technician, testing substances for their effect on the environment and the like.”

“That’s great to hear, buddy!”

“Thanks! I better get on my way to my faculty about now. See you around, Arnold.”

“Oh, no need to say goodbye just yet, I’m leaving too.” 

Arnold took Brainy under his arm and made a quick walk toward the opening door of the faculty. They parted ways, and Arnold was dead set on going home afterwards, but he hesitated when he saw a group of three sitting on the outdoor benches. He remembered seeing them in line for when he was applying for his history course, and, cheered up from encountering Brainy, decided to try and talk to them.

“Man, I’m stuck coming on Tuesdays as well. This stinks. I’ve only got one class on Monday.”

“Ditto here. On the flip-side, outside of Wednesday, we get to leave early every day.”

Seems casual enough, Arnold figured. He tried to chip in, but couldn’t find an appropriate moment just yet, not wanting to interrupt anyone.

“And with a B- average, you can get a tuition write-off next year, though I’m not sure how that works now.”

“Yeah, I’ve been told about that; dunno how it is now neither.”

“Oh, I think they discontinued it” Arnold interjected, finally deciding to make a conversation entrance “a buddy of mine in a higher year told me so.”

“Ah.”

“Hm.”

They turned to themselves after that.

Arnold was left confused. He decided to stick around to see if something else would work, but no such opportunity came. None of them were even noticing him. He turned his face toward a park not too far away from the faculty, thinking that there might be a more familiar face he could spot there. There was no one familiar to be found, and so, Arnold figured on giving a talk with the group one more shot.

“Hey, anybody got a schedule?” 

When the other two of the group said no, the question was then posed to Arnold. This was his chance. He reached to find the schedule given to him, but it wasn’t in his pockets.

“Maybe there’s a PDF copy online? Check to see.”

Seeing his chance slip away, Arnold took out his backpack, and finally found it there. He lifted his head up, but then he sensed another twitch in him.

One of the kids gave him a judgy, dismissive look. His eyes widened and pucked out, his lips stiffened, and his mouth became slightly crooked. The feelings of belittlement and being looked down upon returned, and Arnold left as soon as he let the group take a picture of the schedule.

Well, this was an odd day out for him. At this point, he just wanted to go back to his flat and clear his head out for a little. But since he still had classes, he decided on getting another cup of coffee, but again someone called him.

“Arnold! Hey Arnold, could you help me out a bit?”

Arnold let out another chuckle. He recognized that voice. It was Phoebe.

He came over to her as she carried something very odd. It was a blue cat, unconscious, but… a dressed one. He was wearing a bright-green military uniform, with torn brown boots and a cap with a red five-pointed star in the middle.

“Hi there!” Arnold greeted Phoebe, before looking toward the cat “And just who you might be?”

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to make every small event seem as important. There won't be a lot of major plot arcs and twists in the story, this is just on how small, everyday events will impact our characters- some for good, some for bad. To quote David Byrne, "I like writing about small things." There's lots of stuff here about major topics that handle them quite well, but I think that even these mundane everyday events can make for a good and interesting story. I hope I've captured the characters from the show well.


End file.
